| | | | The situation in the UK's care homes has come under the spotlight in recent days, with the government accused of "forgetting" the sector while coronavirus "runs wild". However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock is now promising all residents and staff showing symptoms will be tested. So too will anyone moved to a home from hospital. Currently, only the first five symptomatic residents are tested to confirm an outbreak. The level of testing in general in the UK has been a focus of criticism for weeks. Here, some of those afraid for their loved ones living in care homes speak to the BBC, and read more on why testing matters so much. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is urging the government to publish an exit strategy from the coronavirus lockdown this week. The lockdown is likely to be extended on Thursday, and Sir Keir said to maintain morale and hope "people need a sense of what comes next". However, the government insisted talking about an exit before the virus had reached its peak risked confusing the public. Much of the focus on Tuesday was on the potential economic impact of the crisis, with dire predictions from experts. A huge package of support has been put in place, but the BBC has spoken to some of those small businesses struggling to access it. Amid the gloom, we keep hearing stories of remarkable personal contributions. Read about the 99-year-old Army veteran who has raised more than £4m by completing laps of his garden using a walking frame. Plus, watch the cleaning company sanitising public spaces free of charge. In one of our latest analysis pieces - all gathered together here - BBC Reality Check breaks down the data to see which regions of the UK have been worst affected by the virus. We've also put together a jargon buster to help you decipher all the language around the pandemic. | |
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| |  | | | The video shows a mortuary worker at a cemetery surrounded by dozens of bodies. It was filmed in the main cemetery in Qom, a holy city in central Iran. It was where coronavirus first began spreading in the country. In the footage, the mortuary worker says all the bodies are of victims of coronavirus, though the BBC cannot verify his claims. But it's what he says next that captured the internet's attention. In a passing comment, he explains that some of the corpses had been in the morgue for five or six days. | |
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| | Behrang Tajdin & Louise Adamou | BBC Persian | |
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The situation in Britain's care homes is covered widely. "Are people dispensable?" is the question asked by one nursing home manager in the Guardian. The Metro describes care homes as the "forgotten front line", while the Daily Mail's Ian Birrell believes what's happening is a "callous betrayal" which "shames politicians" who are "spouting platitudes". The Daily Telegraph's Jill Kirby is similarly critical, writing that there is a "dismal irony" that the UK's "national and quasi-religious obsession" with the health service has pushed care homes out of the picture. Other papers analyse those ominous economic forecasts we mentioned earlier. "More austerity would be a cruel slap in the face," says the Daily Mirror, and argues life should not be made harder for the less well-off when the lockdown is lifted. The Sun's leader suggests restarting the economy is not just a "lives versus money and jobs" debate, and there should be more consideration given to possible deaths from poverty, unemployment and tax rises from a "paralysed" economy. | |
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| In the latest episode of the Coronavirus Newscast, the team discusses the dire predictions being made for the UK economy. Or for something different, enjoy the Lockdown Virtual Gig, from BBC Radio 5 Live, with performances from artists including KT Tunstall and Jack Savoretti. | |
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